This is YUGE news and will impact each and every American. One of the missing elements in our quest for energy independence has always been the lack of oil refining capacity to produce gasoline and other fuel end-products.

Years of choking fossil fuel regulation, partly funded and supported by an alignment of special interests including foreign governments, OPEC and eco lobbyists, has created a situation where over half of our oil refining capability was eliminated.

With the election, and independence, of Donald Trump that course has changed dramatically. Trump is not beholden to the lobbyists and special interests who pay for the U.S. to remain dependent on foreign oil and off shore refinement.

Additionally, this is a really big deal because our predictions have always been that President Trump will find a way to make ‘USenergy exports‘ a big part of the U.S. expanding economy. A complete paradigm shift – and with it comes unexpected and unpredicted (by most) additional growth in GDP. Hence this emphasis:

(Via Reuters) Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), the world’s largest publicly traded oil producer, said on Monday it would invest $20 billion through 2022 to expand its chemical and oil refining plants on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The investments at 11 sites should create 35,000 temporary construction jobs and 12,000 permanent jobs, Chief Executive Darren Woods said in a speech at CERAWeek, the world’s largest gathering of energy executives.

Some of the expansions began in 2013, but the scope of the project is now growing and the timeline extended, Exxon said.

Woods ran Exxon’s refining division before becoming CEO two months ago, and the new spending benefits a sector with which he has significant experience and comfort. Investments in the high-margin projects should help ease concerns from Wall Street that Exxon’s growth potential – especially in oil and gas exploration and production – is sliding.

“Exxon Mobil is building a manufacturing powerhouse along the U.S. Gulf Coast,” Woods said. “These businesses are leveraging the shale revolution to manufacture cleaner fuels and more energy-efficient plastics.”

The investments across Texas and Louisiana will take advantage of cheap shale gas to make plastics and other chemicals for export. The strategy builds on prior steps Exxon and peers, including Dow Chemical Co (DOW.N), have taken in the wake of the American shale expansion, which sharply cut production costs.

“The supply is here. The demand is there. We want to keep connecting those dots,” Woods said.

Exxon last month pledged to boost this year’s spending by 16 percent to expand operations, especially in shale production, after the company posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by rising oil prices and lower costs.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who tapped former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, praised the company’s spending plans as an example of “a true American success story.” Most of the permanent jobs are expected to pay more than $100,000 per year.

“This is exactly the kind of investment, economic development and job creation that will help put Americans back to work,” Trump said. (read more)

The kicker is that these new refineries will be set up to turn Natural Gas into plastics, paint and chemicals. Fracked Natural Gas will no longer be flared at the well head. It will be piped to Houston and turned into plastic.

If you figure 45 gallons of mostly lighter products from 42 gallons of crude, $45 per barrel means $1 average material cost per gallon. Add refining, taxes and transportation for the minimum cost recovery needed in a price. Also most refinery products are lower valued than gasoline, so maybe more than $1/gal on the material component.

OMG, this is such great news for Louisiana, Texas and the rest of the country. Spent a lot of my life growing up in refinery country, my Dad worked on them in the 60’s and 70’s Now we need to put a missel defence system in the Gulf. Since 9/11 I have been really freaked about how vulnerable the Gulf Coast is and what that would do to the nation.

I lived in Lake Charles when Citi Service blew it shook the house and we weren’t even close. Lived in Baton Rouge when ExxonMobil blew in late 80’s. Back in the day you could cut through Mobil in Port Arthur to take a short cut to the beach. Only thing we had to worry about were the refineries not evil people…..times have sure changed……

Trump’s Challenges under the American Energy Resurgence:
• Get EXTREME VETTING in place GLOBALLY before the Mideast Economies crater under plummeting energy prices, causing their populations to rise up in rebellious coups or flee to invade and take over nearby countries.
• Get DEFENSE CAPACITY RESTORATION completed among allied countries GLOBALLY before the exporting nations’ economies (that have been leaching from the USA) begin to crater under America’s Manufacturing Resurgence, leading to wars for plunder and public distraction.

BKR, I have looked to you for guidance on many issues. Yet, I hope this time there are some pleasant surprises waiting for us all. I want to believe we’re seeing the dawn of a new era. That for which I’m hoping is that enough effective bi-lateral trade initiatives can be created that there don’t HAVE to be refugees every time economies change.

I want to believe that DOZENS of nations can become more independent of the clutches of globalism. I want to believe that good leaders can imitate our Lion on behalf of making their OWN nations great again. Not every nation is gonna be able to apply every lesson but President Trump’s initiatives can be tweaked to fit MANY situations in many different places. MANY economies can become more independent and resilient.

My prayer is that together with other supportive states, the USA can create a kind of business “Peace Corps” (if it doesn’t already exist) to help nations restructure their own economies and business practices – practices that fit THEM. I pray I get to live to see this.

And remember, when the American people are secure and prosperous, manufacturers all over the world are going to have to add capacity because we’ll be buying not only “Made In USA” but also almost everything everyone else can produce. Despots can be removed when people are prosperous. Well-intended leaders can be encouraged and protected.

Schools and Universities all over the world can be expanded because people will have money to invest in themselves and in their nations. Infrastructure can be built-out to formerly unserviced areas.Tourism all over the world will become safer and more accessible. Ecological disasters can be remediated and prevented.

In other words, just because we’re doing well does not have to mean that others will be left behind. When the American people are secure and prosperous, the whole WORLD will have even more reasons to celebrate the birth of our Nation. The people of the USA are THE MOST GENEROUS people on Earth. I have personal experience with this. I know I sound like a utopian but if ever this has been possible, that time is now.

It will be interesting to see how TRUMP reacts to the GOPe Obamacare program and tax cuts which RYAN want to derail or kick down the road. The SENATE is right with him on this. Watch TRUMP do his thing!!!!. He needs a few rallies and they will fall in line. His ONLY asset in DC is the VOTER deplorable s. More than GOOD enough!!.

Two days ago Ambrose Evans-Pritchard published this little bombshell about the Permian shale boom in Texas (nice to have Gov Perry confirmed as Sec of Energy). OPEC will be a thing of the past. Exxon is on the MAGA train.

No doubt critics will say this is crony capitalism. I say So what? Donald Trump promised to free energy production from destructive bureaucratic red tape to grow the economy and create jobs. He’s keeping his promise.

The U.S. has a refining bottleneck due to progressive insistence on eliminating oil and gas production. We have needed more refinery capacity for years. Looks like it’s finally going to happen. MAGA!

Off-topic, put tangentially related, I recall a Pro-Trump black guy being interviewed by MS/DNC and he said something about being from Mississippi, the catfish capitol of the world and how there is a problem b/c they have to send them to China for processing or something, when we should be able to do that here. Just found it, here it is, start at 1:22 (Maybe Trump can fix this too)

On oil, here’s some important info from Col. Fletcher Prouty on the true origins of oil (it’s definitely worth the time to listen to his interviews online or read his books: The Secret Team, and JFK Assassination)

From I am reading, CTH is missing the bigger picture here. Refineries and the chemical processing industry in general have been reluctant to make these kinds of investments in the past because it opened up their permits (air quality state permits and/or Title V) permits to review by their regulatory bodies which more often than not would result in years of permitting delays and potential impacts on their Potential to Emit calculations. As a result, why open up their permits to hostile regulatory bodies? Many of these plants can implement significant capital improvements that would “streamline” and “de-bottleneck” their operations resulting in improved production and efficiencies (energy and air quality improvements). With a new EPA chief, there is an anticipation of rapid approvals without 3rd party interventions that bring such improvements to a standstill.

That is the exact reason we waited until now to apply for permit to mine our central reserve ore body. The Laurentian reserve ore body took 9 months and $700,000 to permit under 2.0
East & West reserve ore bodies took 5 years and $3.5 million under obummer…

Thank you for the video on oil. When I heard that oil was from dinosaurs and other ancient animals, it never made sense to me, and I was kid in the 1970’s. I never believed oil came from dinosaurs / animals.

Imagine all the lies we have been taught as truth, and it is worse today.
It is propaganda.

In college I had a female history professor who said that we needed to be careful of what we read and learn, to always ask questions and seek out alternative information and viewpoints because we are taught half truths, untruths, lies.

Lower fuel costs coupled with lower taxes and regulation on the trucking industry is, I believe, the crux of the “Main street economy” I have learned here. Consumable goods will be affordable, if not downright cheap, and the cost of durable goods will also fall significantly. “Wall street economy” will also benefit significantly, as most of the TVs, toys, cars and parts, etc .that rely heavily on trucking, fall under publically traded companies. In fact, the chasm between the two economic rail lines is already lessening. Some have dubbed it the ‘Trump bump’. Of course, the swamp and its’ bottom feeding followers are attempting to credit their messiah, who thankfully is sitting on a keg o’ TNT right now. Just hoping the Trump Administration lights the fuse, and soon.

Exxon was already planning to move to the Gulf area. They closed a huge plant in NJ where my husband worked and moved the operation to Baton Rouge, LA. I hope this is bigger then what they already planned.

Is the red tape for the environmental review going to be equally loosened, and applications reviewed on an equal timely basis,
for refineries that are already in the gulf area (and other areas) and that have been wanting to expand to help meet – and compete – for the fuel demands – for years?
(Sweeney, Texas City, Corpus Christi, Borger, Deer Park etc.)

I can envision it now, California, Oregon and Washington State because of their enviormental laws will be left in the dust, most likely it will be only the consumers in those states who will gain except they had better be ready for higher taxation on most goods which are affected,for their communist government will need the monies for the big hole in the ground